With the high smartphone penetration rates and large young population, the GCC region continued to experience strong growth in mobile transactions in 2018, according to the 2018 Travel Insights Report jointly released today by Cleartrip and Flyin. The market recorded a 110% increase in mobile bookings as they represented one-third of all transactions.
The 2018 Travel Insights Report provides a comprehensive overview of the online travel sector in the GCC, as well as highlights significant shifts in the market dynamics and consumer behavior.
The market saw variations in average airfares as well as travelers' preferences in destinations, trip duration, and payment methods. Key findings of the report covering the January-December period include the sustained expansion of the industry, the rising trend of mobile traffic in major cities, and the growing popularity of travel coupons among travelers.
Sameer Bagul, Executive Vice President & Managing Director, Cleartrip Middle East, said: “We are excited to launch the fourth edition of the Travel Insights Report on the region’s online travel sector. Offering an exclusive and deeper understanding of the underlying trends in the market and consumer behavior, our report has established itself as one of the most respected and trusted sources for insights into the industry. The actionable data we provide will help travellers to plan and book their trips efficiently and enable businesses to develop solutions that cater to the evolving needs and expectations of customers. We will continue to explore new ways to further enhance our comprehensive survey and look forward to releasing our H1 2019 Travel Insights Report.”
“With advancements in mobile technology making travel more accessible to the region’s growing population, the online travel industry is headed for a new phase of growth. As reflected in our study, travelers' preferences are constantly changing, and therefore, it has become imperative for online travel agents to make investments into newer technologies such as machine learning and utilizing block chain capabilities to drive bespoke personalization and superior user experience. When we launched our mobile Progressive Web App (PWA) in 2018 our conversion rates increased by 67% as we continue to help consumers seamlessly make their travel bookings,” Mr. Bagul added.
Changing payment method preferences
Even though credit card still remains the dominant payment method in the online travel market, debit card transactions are on the rise. In the Kingdom, which has seen a spike in the adoption and usage of debit card after its central bank, Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority (SAMA), enabled the country’s made cardholders for online shopping last year, travel bookings using debit cards surged 280% year-on-year (Y-o-Y) to account for 45% of all bookings. In the UAE credit card transactions dipped to 72% from 81% in the previous year and debit cards usage increased from 19% to 28%.
Growing mobile penetration
Owing to the rising popularity of digital wallets and mobile apps, mobile transactions are quickly gaining traction among travelers. In Saudi Arabia, which had the highest rate of Mobile Booking Penetration (MBP) in the region, mobile bookings accounted for 38% with a massive rise of 233% from the previous year. Meanwhile, the number of transactions made on mobile devices increased by 56% in the UAE, whereas Oman recorded the second highest MBP in the region at 34%. Among mobile bookings in the Kingdom iOS share was higher at 71% compared to Android devices share of 29%. The company expects this number to grow in 2019 as ApplePay™ was launched in Saudi Arabia earlier this year.
Mobile has become a popular channel for travel planning and booking in major cities in the region. Kuwait City and Riyadh had the highest rates of mobile traffic and bookings at 81% and 40% respectively. Bahrain, Muscat and Dubai were also among the leading markets for mobile visitors in the 2018 Travel Insights Report.
Trending destinations
Reflecting their growing appetite for novel experiences, the region’s discerning travellers made trips to a wide variety of destinations within the GCC and overseas. Islamabad, Lahore and Brussels topped the list of trending international destinations for travellers in the UAE, while domestic travellers in Saudi Arabia favoured Gizan, Abha and Ha’il. Meanwhile, Istanbul remained among the leading family travel destinations during both summer and winter seasons.
Airfares in a flux
As crude oil prices continued to fluctuate in 2018, the region’s leading markets saw significant changes in airfare pricing. Average ticket prices were 10% and 6% higher in Bahrain and Kuwait respectively, while Saudi Arabia experienced an overall price decline of 7% due to growth of low-cost carriers such as flyadeal. As some of the large airlines reduced capacity from Kuwait, it recorded the highest average fare per person at USD 281, while Oman had the lowest in the region at USD 192.
Some routes originating from the region have seen fluctuations in airfares last year. While Jeddah-Dubai recorded the highest increase at 25%, the Jeddah-Cairo route witnessed the greatest decline in airfares at 19%. In addition, micro-trips have taken off as a new trend in the region’s travel industry. Ha’il and Kuwait appeared to be the cheapest getaways from Riyadh and Dubai respectively last year.
The report also indicates that Sunday is the cheapest day for travel, whereas prices increase on Thursday. Furthermore, February is the ideal month for budget travellers with average fares falling 16%.
Sustained market growth
With lower airfares, increased connectivity and fewer travel barriers, the GCC continues to witness an increase in the number of travellers. In 2018, the industry posted a robust Y-o-Y growth of 7%, while Saudi Arabia emerged as the fastest growing market with a solid 10% expansion.
Source: menaherald
4 Ecommerce Trends to Watch Carefully for in 2019
As the online retail space grows ever more competitive, entrepreneurs will need to adapt.
Ecommerce enjoyed a record-breaking year in 2018, with global sales revenues estimated to have reached $2.8 trillion, according to Statista. This year, this figure is expected to rise to $3.5 trillion. To put this in perspective, if the ecommerce industry were a country, it would slot into the fifth spot, ahead of the United Kingdom, whose GDP as of April 2018 was $2.61 trillion.
With such eye-opening figures, it’s little wonder there’s so much excitement surrounding the future of online retail. Amid all the hype about ecommerce, it’s easy to forget that this segment accounts for just 11.9 percent of the total retail sales around the world. Therefore, the market holds an extraordinary capacity for growth over the next decade.
Below, I identify the four trends that ecommerce entrepreneurs should pay the closest attention to:
Yes, we’ve heard quite a lot about big data over the past two years, but it’s not going away. As more people come to grips with this new resource, this effort will increasingly separate the successful from the less successful ecommerce businesses. And this division will not be limited to behemoth ecommerce businesses either, because mid-range competitors too are now using their data reserves to mine unique insights.
Big data, in fact, helps entrepreneurs analyze shopping behavior, trends and what products it is that are selling. It's been proven to help ecommerce businesses make improvements in customer service, security and mobile commerce. It also powers the AI which is revolutionizing the industry (more on this below).
In short, big data is likely to power future developments in your ecommerce business. If you are planning on staying in the industry long term, you would be wise to study the latest developments.
Shoppers are growing used to the convenience of ecommerce, and entrepreneurs need to ensure that the customer experience meets those people's growing expectations. The purchasing journey needs to be smooth, reassuring and secure. Stores also need to be quick to respond to queries and resolve issues.
One American Express study has found that more than half of Americans surveyed had canceled a purchase due to bad service. But take heart; you needn't be the entrepreneur on the other end of that type of transaction. Instead, there are a number of ways you can deliver outstanding customer service:
Ensure a smooth checkout: Too many ecommerce stores still have unnecessarily drawn-out checkouts. Consider whether you need any more than two stages, i.e., you can fill in the details on one page; then confirm those details and items on the next.
Be responsive: Whether it’s on social media or your website or via email or phone, your business should respond to any queries in a timely and professional manner. An increasing number of stores offer live chat on their sites, and the response of customers has been overwhelmingly positive.
Deliver a personalized experience: Use your customer’s browsing and purchase history to deliver a personalized shopping experience. This is something Amazon has turned into an art form in recent years, directing its customers to the products that are most relevant to them and that they are more likely to buy.
Listen to your customers: Be proactive in looking for feedback and asking your customers about their experience. By asking for feedback, you’ll shape a more holistic view of your business and how it is perceived. Don’t be afraid to address criticism, either, even if it’s in public. In this way, you'll identify your weaknesses and prove to customers that you take complaints seriously.
Above all, understand that providing excellent customer service is no longer a bonus for an ecommerce business. It’s now the norm.
Without good, well-ordered data, you will not be able to embrace the latest technologies that can drive revenue to your ecommerce store. AI is already evident in many ecommerce stores. Those automated live chatbots, advanced data analytics and inventory management tools? They are all powered by AI.
However, there are examples of stores taking it to the next level to deliver a highly personalized experience. Outdoor wear brand, The North Face, has recently unveiled a digitalized personal shopper which can guide customers to products. There are also voice search and mobile shopping, which enable people to shop on the move.
One of the factors behind Amazon’s success is its advanced product recommendations algorithm, which drives up to 35 percent of the company’s total sales. Using the buyer’s shopping habits, interests and even browsing history, the ecommerce giant is able to promote the products the buyer is most likely to purchase.
Looking beyond Amazon, product recommendation engines have proven effective at delivering a personalized shopping experience and driving up revenue for stores. The key is to place those recommendations at optimum points in the purchasing process.
First, ensure you have recommended products visible to your shoppers on the home page or after the point that they sign in. Then, once they have added items to their basket, ensure you have suggested complementary items. You can also suggest items at checkout.
Entrepreneurs who take the proactive approach, embrace the latest advances in tech and make use of data will reap the rewards in ecommerce. As AI becomes more mainstream, it is essential that ecommerce business owners take personalization to the next level. Simply having a product recommendation plugin is no longer enough; you need to be proactive and utilize tools in the right way, with well-curated data, to maximize their potential.
Source: entrepreneur
De nos jours, on dit beaucoup de choses sur la 4e Révolution Industrielle. Au cours des deux derniers siècles, le monde a traversé trois révolutions industrielles. La première révolution industrielle a débuté en Angleterre à la fin du 18e siècle, avec l’utilisation de la force de l’eau et de la vapeur dans le but de mécaniser la production. La seconde révolution fit son arrivée au début du 20e siècle lorsque Henry Ford a maîtrisé la ligne d’assemblage en mouvement et introduit l’âge de la production de masse.
Ces deux révolutions industrielles ont créé une richesse telle que l’histoire n’a jamais connu et ont rendu les gens plus riches et plus urbains. En réalité, nous assistons à une troisième révolution avec l’utilisation de l’électronique et des technologies de l’information pour automatiser la production.
Le monde attend maintenant avec impatience la quatrième. Selon le Forum Économique Mondial, la quatrième révolution industrielle se construit sur la troisième, la révolution digitale qui s’est produite depuis le milieu du siècle dernier. Elle est caractérisée par une fusion des technologies qui brouille les lignes entre le physique, le digital et les sphères biologiques. Encore selon le Forum Économique Mondial il y a trois raisons pour lesquelles les transformations d’aujourd’hui ne représentent pas seulement une prolongation de la troisième révolution mais plutôt l’arrivée d’une quatrième, distincte : la vitesse, la portée et l’impact des systèmes.
La vitesse des percées actuelles n’a aucun précédent historique. Comparée aux précédentes révolutions industrielles, la quatrième évolue à un rythme exponentiel plutôt que linéaire. De plus, elle perturbe presque toutes les industries dans tous les pays. Et la largeur et la profondeur de ces changements annoncent la transformation de systèmes entiers de production, de gestion et de gouvernance.
En réalité, c’est l’évolution qui est intéressante car en fait les économistes ont dû apprendre pendant des décennies comment intégrer de nouveaux éléments à chaque stade dans le but d’accroître le “bien être social”. Par exemple, la nouvelle théorie classique s’est focalisée sur la réalisation de l’efficacité, la pensée maximisant le profit. La croissance économique fut le sommet de ses objectifs jusqu’à ce que les économistes découvrent l’importance d’inclure une autre dimension dans le but d’atteindre une répartition plus égale de la richesse et du revenu car la réalisation de la croissance économique en soi, bien que essentielle, n’est pas suffisante parce qu’elle ne signifie pas nécessairement un “bien-être social” plus élevé.
Malheureusement, l’avidité et l’usage excessif des ressources pour satisfaire les besoins illimités de l’homme ont mené à de sérieux dommages à l’environnement; déversements de pétrole, désertification, pollution de l’air, disparition des espèces ainsi que le problème le plus grave du réchauffement climatique. Ces phénomènes furent identifiés par les économistes comme étant la conséquence directe de la "tragédie des biens communs". Les économistes s’accordent sur la nécessité d’adopter un schéma de développement durable, les dimensions économiques, sociales et environnementales vont de pair.
Mais encore une fois cela ne suffit plus car concilier tous les objectifs et vivre en harmonie au sein d’un environnement sain doit inclure le côté éthique. Les voix qui s’élèvent actuellement font valoir le besoin de prendre en compte les aspects éthiques des activités économiques. En effet, la tendance économique actuelle qui nourrit l’émergence de la soi-disant quatrième révolution industrielle qui affectera tous les aspects de notre vie, notamment en raison de la connaissance technologique et de la prépondérance du rôle des machines dans nos vies en particulier les robots, ne laisse aucun doute sur le besoin de déterminer un cadre éthique à notre économie et nos activités industrielles.
Récemment, l’Hebdo Magazine a publié un article dédié au rôle grandissant de Google, Facebook, Apple et d’autres entreprises “du savoir” de notre vie, intitulé “Le monde selon Google et Facebook” qui a principalement mis en lumière le rôle de l'algorithme dans notre vie considéré comme le maître de la 4e révolution industrielle, avec cette principale question “Livrent-ils avec eux la promesse d’un monde meilleur au sein duquel les robots libéreront les homme du travail ?”. Ces algorithmes produisent des mondes qui dépendent de la vision de ceux qui les ont créés, c’est à dire la Silicon Valley, même s’ils sont un outil qui répond à leurs objectifs. Les algorithmes sont même considérés comme un facteur important dans le secteur politique.
La victoire de Donald Trump est considérée comme un bon exemple en la matière. Les algorithmes sont pris comme coupables depuis qu’ils ont créé un environnement biaisé où l’information fut donnée aux utilisateurs en fonction de leurs préférences, ce qui les prive de l’entièreté de l’image. Hebdo conclut son article en affirmant que “l’issue du débat n’est pas technique mais plutôt à la fois éthique, politique, économique et philosophique.
En considérant que la 4e révolution industrielle ouvre notre esprit à l’imagination, cette dernière serait la clé d’une telle révolution si la machine était notre “esclave”, capable d’exécuter nos ordres. Alors cette révolution aiderait le producteur à en savoir davantage sur la demande des consommateurs, ou inversement les consommateurs auraient-ils des informations complètes sur le type de produits, sur les prix, les composants comme les aspects éthiques du processus de production en un clic sur le code-barres.
Il n’y a donc pas de bonne ou de mauvaise technologie, la question devrait-être comment pouvons-nous gérer cette révolution dans le bons sens afin de répondre à nos besoin et d’atteindre le bien-être social. En réalité, pour répondre à cette question, nous devons être capable de choisir quoi produire, comment et par qui, et comment pouvons-nous partager la richesse générée par cette méthode révolutionnaire de production.
Si cette révolution attribuait des rôles aux machines et aux systèmes électroniques dans le but de faciliter la production et la distribution, le contrôle de la qualité et l'efficacité, alors les hommes pourraient-ils enfin être libres du travail ? Ou cela serait-il un outil puissant vers une dictature de la machine sur les humains ?
A première vue, cela ne signifie pas que l’humanité n’aura rien à faire mais elle pourra attribuer plus de temps à des activités plus fondamentales de l’être humain qui distinguent la machine des humains ; comme passer du temps avec la famille et les amis, la méditation ou la réflexion.
En réalité, j’ai été inspiré d’une histoire que j’ai entendue à propos d’un chauffeur de taxi à Londres, qui a été confronté à la question du danger des nouvelles technologies dans son travail. Lorsqu’on lui a demandé s’il pensait qu’il devrait trouver un autre emploi si un robot pouvait être introduit dans le secteur des taxis, sa réponse fut “alors je m’occuperai de mes parents”. Une réponse très simple pour une question très complexe. Mais cette réponse instinctive pourrait, en réalité, être la bonne. Si les machines pouvaient intervenir dans les emplois exécutifs, alors quel travail serait meilleur que le fait d’être un humain puisque le robot n’est qu’une machine, incapable de qualités humaines fondamentales telles que l’émotion et l’empathie.
Bien qu’avec la révolution digitale actuelle, qui a permis à la 4e révolution industrielle d’être inclusive, j’ai bien peur que rien ne change en termes de leadership. Car nous avons besoin d’inclure les micro-organismes, principalement les petites et moyennes entreprises tout autant que les consommateurs et les particuliers, dans le processus afin d’avoir un rôle dans la refonte de l’économie. Notre vie quotidienne est déjà construite autour du modèle actuel où les multinationales et les grandes entreprises font ce genre de manœuvres.
Avec une telle révolution, nous avons besoin de renforcer la dimension éthique en lien avec la croissance économique et le développement durable, ce qui restaurera à terme la dignité de l’homme en tant que maître de la machine et non pas l’inverse.
Thursday 16 February at 11am 2016 was a record-breaking year for solar in the Middle East.
Record low tariffs below 3 US$ cents per kWh attracted worldwide press attention and even more in September 2016 when price went below 2.45 US$ cents per kWh.
The world record tariffs provided solar with an important jump-start of more large scale solar projects in the Middle East in 2016 (e.g. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Jordan) and will drive even more large-scale project announcements and executions in 2017 in other countries (e.g. Oman and Tunisia).
In 2016, MESIA witnessed the following solar drivers and trends in the MENA region (PV, CSP, and ISCC): 885MWac in operation, 3,610 under execution and 1,300 under tender. In 2017, above 4,050 MWac are in the pipe for the PV sector and 1,310 MW for the CSP sector including some hybrid plant PV and CSP.
MESIAisperceiving a rapid adoption of large-scale solar in the Middle East: Egypt is aiming for 2,650 MW of PV capacity in operation by 2020. Morocco will have about 500 MW of CSP and 600 MW of PV in operation by 2019, while Jordan has 540 MW of PV projects under construction and is set to award 200 MW (4×50 MW) in the course of 2017. In UAE, 2016 saw Phase III awarded (Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park) with 800 MW for delivery over three phases until 2020 at 2.99 US$ cents per kWh. The Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (ADWEA) has tendered out a minimum 350 MW Sweihan solar power plant. In Saudi, SEC is currently tendering a 100 MW PV project across two sites in the northern region of the Kingdom while in Oman, the RFP for first utility scale PV projects is expected to be launched by the tendering authority by mid-2017. The project size will be around 200 MW. Pakistan is seeing the construction of the second phase of the project Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park (QASP) in Punjab – installing 300 MW. More data are available in the MESIA Annual Solar Outlook Report.
MESIA Annual Solar Outlook Report is also addressing the Rooftop Solar Project in the MENA region. Rooftop solar kicked off in the UAE with approximately 6 MW up and running by the end of 2016. It is expected the rooftop market in the UAE could reach 70 MW in 2017. This would mean more than tenfold growth in a 1-year period.
The report also elaborates on the storage and demand response solutions which provide additional flexibility to the transmission system and allow to curb peak load.
Wim Alen, Secretary General of MESIA and Senior Vice-Present Business Development – Middle East, South & Central Asia, and Turkey, at ENGIE said: “At MESIA, we are excited to see solar developments in the region going into fast-forward at attractive tariffs and lowering the carbon footprint of the regional economies. We see a pipeline of more than 5.7 GW of upcoming projects throughout the MENA region. ENGIE will be actively involved both as a market player and as an active member of MESIA. Our membership of the Association is very much in line with our global commitment to an organization such as Terrawatt Initiative, which advocates for a strong dialogue between the public and private sector to implement a solid market framework for solar worldwide.”
About MESIA
MESIA is the largest solar trade association in the Middle East and North Africa region. Established in 2009, the association represents over 150 international and local organizations including investors, installers, manufacturers, law firms, consultants, policymakers and banks. MESIA is headquartered in Dubai, UAE and carries out solar-related activities and programs across the MENA region. Its regional coverage stretches from Egypt to Saudi Arabia, with over 10,000 subscribers. Over the past 7 years, MESIA has organized over 70 industry events focused on strengthening the footprint of solar energy in our region, including trade missions in Egypt, Pakistan and Jordan. Along the way, MESIA has won several prestigious awards and had been recognized by leading government authorities across the MENA region. MESIA also publishes industry-leading reports which have been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and the FT. To learn more about MESIA visit www.mesia.com.
البنك الدولي
تكافؤ الفرص للجميع
نظرة عامة
تقرير ممارسة أنشطة الأعمال 2017: تكافؤ الفرص للجميع، هو منشور رئيسيصادر عن مجموعة البنك الدولي، وهو الطبعة الرابعة عشرة في سلسلة من التقارير السنوية التي تقيس الأنظمة التي تعزز النشاط التجاري وتلك التي تعوقها. يقدمتقرير ممارسة أنشطة الأعمال عدد من المؤشرات التي تتعلق بالأنظمة التجارية وحماية حقوق الملكية التي يمكن مقارنتها عبر 190 اقتصادا من أفغانستان إلى زيمبابوي وعلى امتداد الوقت.
By Ayman Abualkhair
Nowadays, much is being said on the 4th Industrial revolution. The world has gone through three industrial revolutions during the last two centuries. The First Industrial Revolution began in Britain in the late 18th century, with the use of water and steam power to mechanize production. The second revolution came in the early 20th century, when Henry Ford mastered the moving assembly line and ushered in the age of mass production.
مجلة الشرق الاوسط للأعمال - ميدل ايست بزنس
هي ليست مجرد شجرة، يُستفاد من كل اجزاءها، تُغني زارعها، تشفي آكلها، وتحمي الأرض من تحتها وترفع اعمدة الحضارات فوقها... انها شجرة النخيل وثمارها من الرطب والتمر. جاء في القرآن الكريم:
﴿وَهُوَ الَّذِي أَنشَأَ جَنَّاتٍ مَّعْرُوشَاتٍ وَغَيْرَ مَعْرُوشَاتٍ وَالنَّخْلَ وَالزَّرْعَ مُخْتَلِفًا أُكُلُهُ وَالزَّيْتُونَ وَالرُّمَّانَ مُتَشَابِهًا وَغَيْرَ مُتَشَابِهٍ كُلُوا مِن ثَمَرِهِ إِذَا أَثْمَرَ وَآتُوا حَقَّهُ يَوْمَ حَصَادِهِ وَلَا تُسْرِفُوا إِنَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ الْمُسْرِفِينَ﴾(الأنعام141).
Translation from Middle East Business Magazine (Original text)
Hereafter your will find details on Swiss Imports from the Arab world by commodity
01- Swiss Imports of live animals
Source: Swiss customs
02 - Swiss Imports of Meat and edible meat offal
Source: Swiss customs
This section of the article is only available for our subscribers. Please click here to subscribe to a subscription plan to view this part of the article.
Hereafter your will find details on Swiss Exports to the Arab world by commodity
01- Swiss Exports of live animals
Source: Swiss customs Source: Swiss customs02 - Swiss Export of Meat and edible meat offal
Source: Swiss customs Source: Swiss customs03 - Swiss Export of Fish and crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebrates
Source: Swiss customs Source: Swiss customsThis section of the article is only available for our subscribers. Please click here to subscribe to a subscription plan to view this part of the article.
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